Machine for corrugating sheet metal.



s. T. W T N. MACHINE FOB GOBBUGATING SHEET METAL.

APPLIOA'TIOI' FILED KAI. 13, 100B.

4 SHEETS-BEBE! 1- mmw. a sum 00.. Pmmurnomunsn. WAMMQM. a c.

S- 'T- .W'ALT NL MACHINE FOR GORRUGATING'SHEBT METAL.

APPLiOATION FILED MAR. 13, 1908.

. Patented Ju1 y'6,l 909.'

' Janus-$112M 2.

umncw. B Guam 0a., rmm-Llwounmcna. wAsumaron u c s. T. WALTON. MACHINE FOR GORBUGATING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 13, 1908.

Patented July 6, 1909. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

v s. T. WA LTON. MACHINE FOR OORRUGATING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 190B.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Mums-sum 4.

L0 PHOYO-LITHOGRAPNERS. WASPWGTON u. c.

SAMUEL T. WALTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR CORRU'Gri iflIhTG SHEET METAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1908.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial N0. 420,822.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, SAMUEL T. lVALtroN, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful lmprownneiits in Machines for (Jorrugating Sheet Metal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for corrugating. sheet metal, and more particir larly to a machine for forming ribs or beads in such material.

My invention is especially designed for 'l'orming the blanks from which are made the file cabinet: drawers shown and described in my Patent No. 841L881, dated March 12,

1907, but it will of course be understood that.

the lllilClllllUlS not limited to such use.

It is the primary object of the present in vention to provide a machine by means of which a plurality of corrugations may be formed in suitable sheets of metal by a single stroke of a set of dies.

A further object of the invention is to provide :1. machine which, when properly adjusted, will form such corrugations into beads by a second stroke of the dies.

A further object of the invention. is to so arrange the dies that the sheet may be readily inserted and removed and the two operations carried outin their proper sequence.

\Vith the above and other objects in View and to improve gei'lerally upon the details of such apparatus, my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the acconi pan ying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my complete machine; Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, parts being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 23 is a sectional plan view of the machine, the section being taken substantially on the line l-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through: the machine, taken substantially on the line 4. t of l ig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5 is a. sectional plan view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and showing the female dies; Fig. (i .is a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, substantially on the line (i(3 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow; liig. 7 is a fragn'ientary detail perspective view of one of the parts; Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a fragment of the male die; Fig. 8 is a similar view showing a mod ification; Fig. 5) is a detail perspective view of a fragment of one of the female dies; Fig. 10 a perspective view, showing thez'ictuating cam; Fig. 11 is a perspective view, showing the two parts of a toggle de vice hereinafter described; F 12 is an edge view of a portion. of the sheet of material, after the first operation; Fig. 13 is a similar view of the n'laterial after the second operation is complete; Figs. 14:, 15, and 16 are detail sectional views of the forming dies, illustrating various steps in the pro d notion of the finished bead.

Referring to the drawings in detail, iny improved machine comprises a base plate 1, suitably supported, and a top plate 2. These plates are shown as rectangular in shape and are connected at their four corners by posts On the inner faces of these posts are formed vertically extending grooves 1, hereinafter referred to.

Mounted in bearings 5 secured to the top plate, is a crank shaft 0, carrying on its extended ends fly wheels 7. Driving power may be applied to the shaft 6 by any suitable means (not shown). Between the boarings 5 the shaft 6 is provided with a pair of cranks 8, to which are journaled a pair of pitl'nan rods 5) extending downwariflly through. openings in the top plate 2, and pivoted at their lower ends to brackets 10 secured to the cross-bars. These cross-bars 3 1.1 are notched at their outer ends and are secured by means of screws 12 to frames 13,

. which if 'ames will hereinafter be referred. to

as male die carriers. These male die carriers 13 extend the full length of the ma chine and are provided at their ends with tongues I L which are zulapted to slide in the vertical grooves 41; in the posts 3. As will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 3, there are two of these members 13, one on each side of the machine.

Extending between the male die carriers 13 are the male dies, 15 which, as shown, comprise bars provided at their ends with tongues .17 adapted to slide in grooves 16 formed upon the inner sides of the male die carriers. At their extreme outer ends the male dies are provided with pintles 18 which project beyond the outer surfaces of the die carrier 1?). Steel bits 19 in the nature of ribs, lit in dove-tailed grooves in the lower face of the male dies, and are secured in position by means of set screws 20. As shown in the drawings, four of these male dies are provided, but it is obvious that any desired number can be employed.

Referring to Figs. 1 and t, it will be seen that male die carriers 13 are provided near each end with depending brackets 21. To each of these brackets is pivoted, as at 25, a bell crank lever, one arm of which projects horizontally, as at 22, while the other arm extends vertically. To the vertical. arm of each bell crank lever are pivoted two links 23, 24, the forward ends of which are pivoted to the pintles 18 of the adjacent pair of male dies 15. It will be noted that the points of attachment of the two links 23 and 2% to the bell crank lever are at widely different distances from the pivot 25, so that when said bell crank lever is swung on its pivot the die to which link 23 is attached will be given a much greater lateral movement than will the die to which link 2% is attached. Secured to each corner post 3 is an adjustable stop 26 with which the arm 22 of each bell crank lever is adapted to engage when the male dies are at the upward limit of their stroke, and secured to the base plate at each corner are corresponding adjustable stops 27 adapted to contact with the arm 22, of each bell crank lever when the male dies are at the lower limit of their stroke. It will thus be seen that as the male die carriers and dies are reciprocated up and down by means of the pitman rods 9 the dies 15 are also shifted laterally at each end of their stroke by reason of the arms of the bell crank levers coming into contact with the respective stops as, 27.

Secured to the base plate 1 is a guide plate 28 having under-cut edges. Adapted to slide on this guide plate 28 and engaging therewith by means of dove-tailed oints, as at 35, are a series of female dies 29 and 31. Secured to the middle die of the plate 28 is a fixed die 32 of the same height and general shape as the movable dies 29 and 31. All of these die members 29, 31 and 32 are provided with steel facing plates 30, clearly shown in Figs. 9, and 14: to 1.6. In each adjacent edge of the die members is formed a si'lbstantially semicircular groove 3 1, formed partly in the body of the die and partly in the adjacent steel plate 30. That portion of each plate 30 which overhangs this groove is hinged, as at 33, for the obvious purpose of permitting the formed metal sheet to be withdrawn from the dies.

At each end of the die members 29 and 31 are formed projecting pintles 3G to which are pivoted one end of a set of levers 37, 38. These levers 37, 38 are themselves pivoted to the base plate 1 at 39, the distance between the pivots 36 and 39 being substantially twice as great for the die members 29 as for the members 31.

To the lower end of each of the levers 37, 38, is pivoted a link 40, and these links are pivoted at their outer ends to the ends of a rod 4C1, which extends the width of the machine and is carried in the lower end of a heavy bell crank lever 12 which is pivoted, as at 43 in a notch in the side of the base plate 1. To the other end of each of the bell crank levers l2 is pivoted at 4 1 a vertically extending bar e15. This bar is provided near its lower end with a slot 48, which cooperates with a guide pin 416 projecting from a bracket 47 secured to the base plate. Intermediate its ends the bar 15 is divided, and is connected by a union 4:53 taking over the right and left screw threaded shanks 45 and 45 carried by the upper and lower portions of the bar. It is evident, therefore, that by turning this union by means of a wrench one way or the other, the bar 41-5 may be lengthened or shortened as desired. '1 he purpose of thus providing a bar of adj ustable length will be hereinafter explained. Near its upper end the bar 15 is formed into a yoke 19 and above this yoke the bar is provided with a second slot 50, which cooperates with a guide pin 51 mounted on a supporting plate 52 secured to the top plate of the machine.

Pivoted to the upper end of the bar 45 at 57 is one member of a toggle device provided on one side with a notch 5% in which normally its a pin which serves to limit the movement of the member 53. A leaf spring 55 secured to the supporting plate 52 bears against the member 53 and urges it in the direction of the pin This toggle device is clearly shown in Fig. 1.1. By reference to this figure, it will be seen that the member 53 is provided at its lower end with a concave face 58 which is adapted to cooperate with a pin 59 carried on the other member (30 of the toggle device. This member 60 is rigidly secured to the main shaft (3 which passes through the yoke 4L9. Also rigidly secured on the shaft (3 adjacent the yoke 19 is a cam 61 adapted to cooperate with a projection (32 formed on the yoke.

In the drawings, the female dies are shown in their extreme open position, and the male dies, at the upper limit of their stroke. It will therefore be evident that, as the shaft (3 revolves, the pin 59 will, after approximately half a revolution, engage the concave face of the toggle member 53 and in so doing lift the bar 4-5 and rock the bell crank lever 42, thus by means of the rod 11 and links 40 swinging the levers 37 and 38 on their pivots an (1 moving the female die members 29, 31 toward thefixed member 32. It i will be here noted that owing to the difference in the length of the levers 37, 38, the members 29 will. have practically twice the movement that the members 31 will have. At the same time the male dies will be lowered by means of the pitman rods, and the ribs 19 will be projected between the female dies at the instant that the latter are closing. Also, simultaneously with the descent of the male dies, they will be shifted laterally as above explained. As the pin 59 moves farther it will snap past the member 53 and the spring 56 will. throw this member back to its normal. position. As the shaft continues to revolve the male dies will be lifted and the cam 61 will strike the projection (52 and force the bar 4L5 dowl'iwardly. This action, by means of the connections above described, will result in moving the die members 25) and 31 away from the fixed member 32, again into the position shown in the drawings. It will thus be seen that when a sheet of metal is laid upon the female dies when they are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 1, and when the male dies descend as above described, corrugations will be formed in the sheet of metal. The appearance of the dies and the metal at the end of the stroke of the dies is shown in Fig. 14;. By reference to this figure, it will be seen that the female dies do not entirely close and that, therefore, the grooves 84: are not brought into play. Fig. 12 shows the ap- )earance of such a sheet of metal 63 having corrugations (it formed therein by this first operation of the machine. In order to form these corrugations into beads, however, it is necessary to proceed as follows: First, the unions 15 are turned in such a manner as to shorten the bars as so that upon the engagement of the toggle members as above described, the female dies will be brought closely together. Second, the bits 19 are removed from the die carriers 15 and flat presser feet 19 substituted in their places. The machine is then set going and the sheets previously formed as shown in Fig. 12 are again placed in the proper position upon the dies, and wires to laid in the corrugations 64, as shown in Fig. 15. Upon the next operation of the dies it is evident that the previously formed corrugations will be compressed into beads, as clearly shown in Fig. 16, each presser foot 19 serving as a hammer to smooth out the upper surface of the sheet. The finished sheet, as it appears after the second o )erat'ion, is shown in Fig. 13 in which 5 designates the beads having the wires 66 embedded therein. If desired, these wires (56 may be omitted.

While .I have shown a pair of dies on each side of the fixed. die 32, it obvious that three or more such dies could be well employed, the fundamental principle of operation being, however, that the farther removed any die member is from the fixed die, the greater lateral movement must it have.

Itwill thus be seen that I have provided a very efficient and con'lpamtively simple machine for forming beads .in sheet metal,

and it istllought that the numerous advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

l Vhat .l claim is:-

1.111 a machine for corrugating sheet metal, a set of female dies having concave working faces some of which dies are fixed, and some laterally movable, a set of male dies having convex working faces cooperating with said female dies, means for shifting said male dies laterally, a fixed frame in which one set of dies is mounted, and means for moving the other of said sets of dies toward and away from the first.

2.111 a machine for corrugating sheet metal, two sets of cooperating dies, means for moving one set toward and away from the other, and means for periodically shifting the movable set laterally, as each limit of its stroke reached.

3. In a machine for corrugating sheet metal, two sets of cooperating dies, means for reciprocating one set relative to the other, and means for periodically shif 'ng the individual members of the reciprocating set laterally as each limit of its stroke is reached, some of said members being shifted to a greater extent than others.

l. in a machine for cm'rugating sheet metal, a set of die members arranged parallel to each other and slidably mounted in transversely extending guides, each die memher comprising a block the sides of which constitute thenvorking faces, means independent of said dies for forcing a portion of the sheet metal down between the same, and means for periodically shifting said dies bodily toward each other so as to pinch and form the metal between their adjacent faces.

5. In a machine for corrugating sheet metal, a set of male and a set of female dies, means for moving one of said sets periodically toward and away from the other, means for shifting the members of the mov able set laterally, at each limit of it troke, and means for correspondingly shifting the members of the other set.

(3.111 a machine for corrugating sheet metal, a set of male dies, and a set of female H dies cooperating therewith, said female dies comprising a central liked member, and movable meml'iers, slidably supported on each side of said fixed men'lber, a fixed frame in which the female dies are mounted, means for reci 'ni-ocating the male dies only,and means for auto]natically shifting the movable female dies at a predetermined point .in the stroke of the male dies.

7. In a machine for corrngating sheet metal, two sets of dies, means for reciprocat ing one set relative to the other, means for antoinatieally shifting the members of the reciprocating set.- laterally, at each limit of its stroke, and means for correspondingly shifting the members of the other set period ieally, at a predetermined point in the stroke of the reciprocating set.

S. In a machine for forming beads in sheet metal, a set of cooperating die members placed side by side and having grooves in their adjacent faces for receiving the metal to be tlormed, means independent of said die members for forcing the metal between the same into position to be operated upon by the grooves, and means for moving said die members to ard and away from each other.

9. In a machine for forming beads in sheet metal, a set of cooperatii'ig die members having grooves in their adjacent faces for receiving between them the metal to be formed, and hinged plates, co-extensive with "zid die members and secured to the top thereof flush with the surface, said grooves being formed partly in the body of said dies and partly in the edges of said plates.

10. In a machine for forming beads in sheet metal, a set of cooperating die members, provided with bead forming grooves, ea:h of said members comprising a body portion and a plate hinged thereto and flush with the top thereof, said grooves being formed partly in the sides of said body portions, and partly in the edges of said hinged plates. whereby the sheet may be readily removed from the dies after the formation of the bead.

11. in a machil'ie for corrugating sheet metal, a driving shaft, a set of male dies, a. set of female dies cooperating therewith, said female dies being laterally movable, means forreciprocating said male dies, and means for moving said female dies at a predetermined, point in the stroke of said male dies, said means comprising an operating bar connected with said female dies, a cam, carried by said shaft for moving said bar in one direction, and a pair of separable toggle levers for moving it in the other direction.

12. In a machine for corrugating sheet metal, a drive shaft, a set of cooperating dies, and means for moving said dies, such means comprising a bar connected with said dies, and a two-part toggle device, one member of said toggle device being pivoted to said bar, and the other member of said toggle device being secured to said shaft and cooperating with said first member to move the bar at each revolution of the shaft.

13. In a n'iachine for corrugating and b ading sheet metal, a set of female dies, one set of male dies cooperating therewith to form corrugations in the metal, and another set of male dies cooperating with said female dies to form such corrugations into beads, said male dies being interchangeable.

14. In a machine for corrugating sheet metal, reciprocating male dies, female dies cooperating therewith and bodily shift-able in a plane perpendicular to the movement of the male dies, means for shifting said female dies, and means for adjusting the stroke of said shifting means.

15. In a machine for corrugating sheet metal, a set of female dies, means for forcing the metal between said dies and means for moving said dies bodily toward and from "tell other, such means comprising a reciprocating bar, and means intermediate the ends of the bar for adjusting the length thereof, whereby the stroke of said dies may be varied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAM UETJ T. W'A UPON.

\Vitnesscs Jmu'ns H. Voon,

l. Timur. 

